Probable causes
- Clogged pump filter or coin trap
- Kinked or blocked drain hose
- Drain hose inserted too deeply into the standpipe
- Failed drain pump or pump obstruction
- Lid or door-lock fault preventing the drain cycle
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Before calling a repair technician
Washing machine: Won’t drain
Start with safe, visible checks only. Your owner’s manual takes priority because access and procedures differ by model.
Safe things to check
- Unplug the washer and prepare towels before opening an owner-accessible filter
- Clean the pump filter exactly as the owner’s manual describes
- Inspect the full drain hose for kinks, crushing, or freezing
- Confirm the standpipe and nearby sink drain are flowing
- Run one drain/spin cycle and write down any error code
Stop and call a professional
- Water is near wiring or leaking under the cabinet
- The pump only hums after the filter and hose are clear
- The washer is full and you cannot safely drain it
- A burning smell, hot plug, or tripped breaker appears
Tell the technician
- Model and serial number
- Exact error code
- Whether you hear the pump humming
- Whether water drains by gravity through the hose
Important: Never bypass a safety switch, work on energized wiring, open a refrigerant system, or attempt gas repairs. For flooding, smoke, sparks, a hot cord, or a gas odor, stop using the appliance immediately.
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Featured homeowner guide · Last reviewed: September 25, 2026
Gas oven won’t heat? Check the controls, power, door, and ignition clues
If you smell gas, hear hissing, or a carbon-monoxide alarm sounds, leave immediately and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Otherwise, confirm Bake mode, temperature and Start; check for Demo or Sabbath mode in the exact model manual; make sure the door is fully closed and any removable knobs are correctly positioned. Check the breaker once. If the oven still does not heat, do not manually light it or access the igniter, gas valve, regulator or wiring—arrange qualified service.
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Start with the symptom.
Bottom-freezer refrigerator freezing food? Check settings and placement
Frozen lettuce in the fresh-food compartment calls for a different check from a freezer that is doing its normal job.
Open free guide →Dishwasher not cleaning dishes? Check loading, the filter, and spray arms
Crowded racks, a blocked spray arm or dispenser, a dirty filter, the wrong cycle, or cool incoming water can leave food behind without proving the pump has failed.
Open free guide →Dryer tumbles but won’t heat? Check the cycle, lint screen, and breaker
A no-heat dryer can still tumble when an Air Only setting is selected, airflow is restricted, or part of an electric dryer’s 240-volt supply is interrupted.
Open free guide →Washer leaking water? Check the hoses, door seal, and drain
Where and when the water appears can separate a loose external connection, drain backup, dirty door seal, clogged dispenser, or oversudsing from an internal failure.
Open free guide →Water heater trouble: when repair stops making sense
Use age, tank condition, repair price, and operating cost—not age alone—to decide.
Open free guide →Smart TV apps not working? Check Wi-Fi, updates, and one app at a time
When streaming apps freeze, crash, or refuse to load, first determine whether the problem belongs to one app, the home network, or the TV itself.
Open free guide →AC leaking water indoors? Check the filter, ice, and condensate drain
Water near an indoor air handler can come from a backed-up condensate drain, damaged pan, frozen coil, disconnected drain, or installation problem—and continued cooling can make the damage worse.
Open free guide →Furnace keeps turning on and off? Check the thermostat, filter, and airflow
Repeated short heating cycles can come from a thermostat problem or restricted airflow, but persistent cycling can also signal a safety-control, venting, sizing, or heat-exchanger fault that needs professional diagnosis.
Open free guide →Gas stove keeps clicking? Check the knobs, moisture, and burner caps
Clicking while a burner ignites—and several igniters clicking together—can be normal. Clicking with every knob off may follow a spill or cleaning, but persistent sparking needs service.
Open free guide →Electric oven won’t heat? Check the mode, controls, breaker, and visible elements
A missed Start command, control lock, demo mode, delayed start, door issue, partial power loss, or failed heating component can all leave an electric oven cold.
Open free guide →Know your model?
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